FAQS: Postgraduate

The application fee is a one-off fee of £20 and covers the cost of processing applications and auditions. 

Entry to our postgraduate courses is through successful audition and interview. Additionally, candidates across all of our MA courses should normally have gained a Level 6 (UK First Degree or equivalent) or have two-three years of relevant professional experience. 

Candidates are advised to review the course page to understand which courses are suitable for them.

You apply directly through our website. On each course page you will find a How To Apply section. This will include the application form (required for all courses) with relevant details about auditioning and applying.

Yes, you are welcome to apply for more than one course at NSCD and you only have to pay the £20 application fee once (you can receive a fee waiver code from Admissions where applicable). To note, if you accept an offer for one course your placement on any shortlists and/or any separate applications will be withdrawn as is NSCD policy.

We aim to let in-person and by-video candidates know the outcome of their audition within 2 to 3 weeks. It will depend on which course you are applying for as to what the application and audition timeline is. You will be able to find this information on the How To Apply page for each course.

Applications should be submitted by the relevant course deadline. Applications received after this date may be considered dependent on the course applied for however this is not guaranteed so if candidates should ensure we receive their application before the deadline. 

Details of financial support options for Postgraduate students, both Home and Overseas, can be found here: https://www.nscd.ac.uk/bursaries-scholarships/.

The application form for financial assistance can be found on the above webpage, along with details regarding the deadline. Ensure you apply for the correct academic year.

Eligible Home and EU Settled or Pre-Settled students can apply for funding through Student Finance England (or Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland): Master’s Loan: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Student Finance applications usually open in summer. For further information on Fees, Student Finance and Costs please see here: Fees & Finance – Northern School of Contemporary Dance (nscd.ac.uk)

Places on all our courses are offered after successful application and audition or interview.  All our offers are conditional upon receipt of the relevant Academic and English Language entry requirements for the specific course. We would issue a CAS once we have received all entry requirements.

If your first language is not English you will need meet the minimum English language entry requirements in order to enrol on any of our courses. This is set at CEFR level B2 for undergraduate courses and high B2 or C1 for postgraduate courses.

This usually means passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider; IELTS for UKVI, LanguageCert International ESOL SELT or PTE Academic UKVI.

However as NSCD is a Higher Education Provider (HEP) we can assess your level of English through an alternative qualification providing it meets the required level.

To enrol on a postgraduate course your English language qualification must be equivalent to the examples below:

IELTS for UKVI with an overall band of 6.5 with no less than 6 in Reading and Writing and no less than 5.5 in Speaking and Listening.

LanguageCert International ESOL SELT with 33– 37 per skill for Reading and Writing, 25-32 per skill for Speaking and Listening. 38 – 50 per skill to achieve 6.5 across all skills.

Who does not need to prove their knowledge of English?

• You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you’ve completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in one of the following countries, or are from one of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, USA.
• You also do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you proved your level of English in a previous visa application.
• In certain countries English subjects studied at school are comparable to B2 standard, provided these subjects have been taken and successfully passed in the final examinations with the required grades where stated. If you are offered a conditional place, after your audition, qualifications that you have gained, including grades that you believe are comparable to the B2 level should be submitted to the admissions team for them to check with NARIC (The National Recognition Information Centre). You will then be notified whether you are exempt from taking additional English language tests for entry. Equally, if you studied/are studying recognised qualifications in English at an International School, or took a GCSE English as a first or second language, you may be exempt.

Most Overseas students will require a Student Route Visa. See further details here: Overseas Students – Northern School of Contemporary Dance (nscd.ac.uk)

There is no such thing as a typical week at NSCD; it is dependent on the course, semester and modules. 

MA Contemporary Dance Performance PPS: A typical week for PPS students depends on the company that they are on placement with. It might involve devising, rehearsal, teaching or performance.

MA Contemporary Dance Performance VERVE:  Curriculum Lead Matteo Marfoglia notes,

A day with VERVE is never the same. Sometimes we are in creation, at times researching or touring during the Spring term. However, a day at base (NSCD) will look like this: start the day at 9am with 1.5 hours morning practice delivered by a different guest teacher weekly, followed by rehearsals of the show from 11am to 5pm with an hour lunch break.

MA Interdisciplinary Dance Performance: Curriculum Lead Fernanda Prata notes,

A day with IDP varies each year as we tailor the programme to align with the group’s main project. For example, if we are collaborating with a theatre company on a one-hour stage production, the workday will typically run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
In contrast, for site-specific projects or gallery pieces, our schedule will adjust to the hours provided by those venues.
When performers are not in the creation period, the programme offers a range of classes and workshops designed to support and develop each performer’s artistry. A unique feature of this MA programme is the flexibility it offers. Students can engage in other artistic projects, auditions, and external collaborations while completing their degree. The faculty is committed to supporting students in balancing their studies with these opportunities, ensuring they can successfully complete their MA even when external artistic opportunities arise. 

MA Dance & Creative Enterprise:

MA Dance & Creative Enterprise mixes studio-based practice, theoretical learning and directed study time.  While the teaching varies across the year, a typical day will have a technique class from 9:00-10:30, which is then often followed by either an extended studio session looking at developing creative practice within a studio environment, or a lecture looking at developing understanding in a key area of arts management, such as project management, fundraising, marketing or research skills.

MA Dance Teaching & Facilitating: Curriculum Lead Matthew Slater notes,

During the Autumn term you will spend 2 days onsite engaging in lectures, workshops and observing teaching practice. The other 3 days are spent on placement, working in a learning environment suitable to your skills and interests. In the Spring and Summer terms the onsite activity reduces to 1 day and the placement increases to 4 days per week. The curriculum for the course is explored through various modules, with overlapping themes and theories relating to the teaching and learning process. Theoretical lectures are complemented with practical workshops, and the opportunity to observe NSCD and guest teachers’ classes, in which you will have the opportunity to apply/observe the ideas and concepts being explored across the various modules. Key areas that are explored include: learning theory, teaching approaches, curriculum/workshop design, inclusive creative practice, assessment and feedback, understanding the wider educational context and regulatory environment, specific dance teaching concepts and principles including safe practice, movement analysis and structuring lessons and schemes of work.

Whilst on placement you have the opportunity to embed this learning into a real-world environment and, with the support of a professional mentor, you will: observe, assist and deliver dance activities; take on board pastoral responsibilities as necessary; attend additional training specific to your placement context; contribute to meetings and planning; support learner progress, attainment and assessment/feedback. Placements might last the entire academic year or you might have the option to switch placement after the autumn term and work within 2 contrasting learning contexts over the course of the year.

NSCD employs a wide variety of assessment methods including formative, continuous and summative assessment. 

Assessment evidence is collected through: 

• Continuous and summative assessments in technique modules 
• Assessed rehearsal processes 
• Showings of performance, choreographic work, improvisation & movement research 

Students receive ongoing feedback in practical classes and through the tutorial system in which professional and academic development are considered and evaluated. 

Our counselling service is free and confidential (unless a student is at risk), and is available for all students to access. The first step is to book an appointment with our dedicated Student Support Manager, who can assess immediate needs and discuss options for ongoing support. 

From there, it is then decided what level of support feels right. For example, we could offer: 

• Weekly counselling via our team of Student counsellors (or external referrals where required); 
• Groups and workshops covering a range of common student mental health issues 
• Adhoc support and advice appointments as and when you need. 

Waiting times are always considerably lower than NHS referrals and our services are free to all students.

See further details on services available to students here: Student Services – Northern School of Contemporary Dance (nscd.ac.uk)

Most NSCD students live in shared housing close to the school, some opt for halls of residence in the city centre or a little further away from the school. See info here: Accommodation – Northern School of Contemporary Dance (nscd.ac.uk)